Hello, I'm Courtney!I am a medievalist and a historian of medicine by training. I completed my PhD at McGill University under the guidance of Prof. Faith Wallis in the fall of 2022. My teaching and research specializations are focused on the Central and High Middle Ages in Europe, with an emphasis on medical and social history.
My dissertation, “Neither Sinner, Nor Outcast: Leprosy in Bologna, Italy 1100-1348,” is the first full-length study to examine the medical, legal, and social responses to leprosy in the Mediterranean region during the Central and High Middle Ages. My next project will extend the parameters of my dissertation to enhance our understanding of how leprosy was viewed, understood, and treated in Italy from c. 1100 to c. 1500. |
My research disrupts a number of longstanding historiographical narratives within research on the history of medieval leprosy. More broadly, however, my work aims to understand how premodern societies promoted and supported the tolerance and inclusion of their most vulnerable groups. In a world rife with discussions on the nature and value of diversity, I believe we can look to the past to for guidance on how we might build a more tolerant and inclusive society. My teaching areas are largely informed by my research, including courses on the History of the Middle Ages (including medieval medicine, the medieval Mediterranean, and gender in the Middle Ages), the History of Medicine, Religious History, and more. Moreover, in recent years, I have also expanded my teaching to also encompass courses on European History, including 20th Century Europe, the Holocaust, and world history surveys, both modern and premodern. |